Seat belts on Millennium Force...

I remember a few years ago when I ventured up to Sandusky, there was a lot of talk on these forums about the inch of slack that needed to be pulled by the rider in order to ride Millennium Force. It scared the crap out of me because the last thing I wanted to do is be told I couldn't ride. When I got there, I fastened the seat belt just fine (I've always been able to) but not able to pull the inch of slack. They let me ride though.

So is this same practice going on this year with the inch of slack or do they just want riders to buckle up and go...?

I dont think they have that rule anymore. is long as your seatbelt locks, your fine!

On the 2nd day of the season this year I was with my buddy and he sat in the test seat for TTD. The employee at the entrance told us that he had to buckle it on his own, and have 1/2 inch of black showing in order to ride. My friend was too large to buckle the belt anyway, but oh well.

From my understanding the rule still exists. But, it is widely not followed by employees.

Peace, Mikey

Maybe a little off topic, but it seems like every major thrill ride has a seatbelt or some kind of redundant safety device these days. Why doesn't Diamondback?

Also, did Millie have seatbelts when it opened in 2000? It feels like they were added when CP started adding them to all rides in the park, but maybe I'm thinking of other rides...

Seatbelts were on Millennium Force in 2000.

Ffej, when a coaster only has a lap bar and no seat belt, the lap bar has a double ratchet system, so if one of the ratchets fails, the other one will be there to hold the lap bar down. With newer coasters, I think they might be hydraulically controlled though, so I'm not sure if there's a backup ratchet system if the hydraulics fail or not. But I do know there is some sort of backup just in case the first system fails. Whether that's an effective form of a redundant connection or not, who knows, but that's about how it works.

Anyone remember when the maintenance guys at MF used to ride without seatbelts?

Well, that's all very good to hear. I've never really understood the whole, pull an inch of slack. If the seat belt fastens, what is one inch going to do for extra protection? If they are trying to make it harder for larger people to ride (not maliciously of course) then why not shorten the length of the seatbelt overall?

Well, now I am excited to go again...thanks guys.

Ffej said:
Maybe a little off topic, but it seems like every major thrill ride has a seatbelt or some kind of redundant safety device these days. Why doesn't Diamondback?

Also, did Millie have seatbelts when it opened in 2000?

I've been on three other B&M hypers (two in US, one in Europe) and none had seatbelts. Must be good B&M design.

When the Intamin Superman Ride of Steel opened at Darien Lake in 1999, it did not have seatbelts. That changed after a rider was ejected on the final hill before the station, in the first month of operation.

Roz

Nitro used to have seatbelts, http://www.coastergallery.com/1999/GA67.html

They were done away with shortly after it opened because all it did was slow down dispatches.

When I was ther on Opening Day I was required to give the belt a half inch of slack on Millenium and Dragster. The one problem I had was getting the belt on without my shirt and shorts getting stuck in the way. I'll figure out a better way when I go again, probally just pull my shirt tighter or something.

The reason for the slack is theoretically it's easier to get a belt fastened when it's longer, but you still need to pull slack to be in what Intamin considers a 'safe' range.

Are the belts still under the steel side bars like last year? They were originally over the side bar and allot of people just couldn't buckle the belt up.I hope it's still like last year, because I didn't have a problem at all.

I think it is a half and inch rather than an inch and I have never seen them enforce it. Recently they have been helping people getting fastened which they did not used to do...

We were at CP last week and were in line for MF. A guy sat down and was having alot of trouble getting the seatbelt to fasten, but the ride op waited a couple of minutes to see if he could get it buckled. He finally was able to secure the seatbelt and was allowed to ride with no slack.

Also when they run trains with the plastic water dummies its very obvious that the only thing holding the dummies in were the seatbelts. I think the t-bar is there just to keep some idiot from jumping off the ride.

The Seat Belts Are to keep the insurance for the park down so thay don't have to raise ticket prices.
I remember that the corkscrew did not have a seat belt------Now it dose!!!!

You have no idea what you are talking about.

I've been on three other B&M hypers (two in US, one in Europe) and none had seatbelts. Must be good B&M design.

When the Intamin Superman Ride of Steel opened at Darien Lake in 1999, it did not have seatbelts. That changed after a rider was ejected on the final hill before the station, in the first month of operation.

Roz

Oh jees. That would suck. Haha.

EricCartman said:
The Seat Belts Are to keep the insurance for the park down so thay don't have to raise ticket prices.
I remember that the corkscrew did not have a seat belt------Now it dose!!!!

Yes, because corkscrew's restraints opened on a test run..

Correct?

I remember hearing about that.